Artificial Joint Replacement of the Elbow Boynton Beach FL

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Artificial Joint Replacement of the Elbow

A Patient's Guide to Artificial Joint Replacement of the Elbow

Introduction

Elbow joint replacement (also called elbow arthroplasty) can effectively treat the problems caused by arthritis of the elbow. The procedure is also becoming more widely used in aging adults to replace joints damaged by fractures. The artificial elbow is considered successful by more than 90 percent of patients who have elbow joint replacement.

This guide will help you understand

how the elbow joint works

what happens during surgery to replace the elbow joint

what you can expect after elbow joint replacement

Anatomy

How does the elbow joint work?

The elbow joint is made up of three bones : the humerus bone of the upper arm, and the ulna and radius bones of the forearm.

The ulna and the humerus meet at the elbow and form a hinge. This hinge allows the arm to straighten and bend. The large triceps muscle in the back of the arm attaches to the point of the ulna (the olecranon). When this muscle contracts, it straightens out the elbow. The biceps muscles in the front of the arm contracts to bend the elbow.

Inside the elbow joint, the bones are covered with articular cartilage. Articular cartilage is a slick, smooth material. It protects the bone ends from friction when they rub together as the elbow moves. Articular cartilage is soft enough to act as a shock absorber. It is also tough enough to last a lifetime, if it is not injured.

The connection of the radius to the humerus allows rotation of the forearm. The upper end of the radius is round. This round end turns against the ulna and the humerus as the forearm and hand turn from palm down (pronation) to palm up supination).

Related Document: A Patient's Guide to Elbow Anatomy

Rationale

What makes elbow joint replacement surgery necessary?

A joint replacement surgery is usually considered a last resort for a badly damaged and painful elbow joint. The artificial joint replaces the damaged surfaces with metal and plastic that are designed to fit together and rub smoothly against each other. This takes away the pain of bone rubbing against bone.

The most common reason for an artificial elbow replacement is arthritis. There are two main types of arthritis, degenerative and systemic. Degenerative arthritis is also called wear-and-tear arthritis, or osteoarthritis. Any injury to the elbow can damage the joint and lead to degenerative arthritis. Arthritis may not show up for many years after the injury.

Related Document: A Patient's Guide to Osteoarthritis

There are many types of systemic arthritis. The most common form is rheumatoid arthritis. All types of systemic arthritis are diseases that affect many, or even all, of the joints in the body. Systemic arthritis causes destruction of the joints' articular cartilage lining.

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